Sanitary bag squeezer



2,800,408 Patented- July 23, 1957 SANITARY BAG SQUEEZER Stanley 5. Fimple, Omaha, Nebr'. Application June 29, 1954, Serial No. 439,995

1 Claim. (Cl. 99-77.1

This invention relates. to culinary devices particularly used in the preparation of. hot beverages, and' in particular a cover having hinged sections and adapted to be placed over a conventional bag of tea whereby upon pressing the sections together with a tea bag therebetween excess fluid is forced from the bag and the bag may be carried from a tea-cup to another receptacle without dripping fluid upon a table-cloth or the like.

The purpose of this inveniton' is to provide means for removing excess fluid from a tea bag. Without soiling the fingers of a hand holding the tea bag.

Conventional tea bags are made of a porous material, such as paper, and a string is attached to each bag with a staple or the like. In use, the tea bag is dipped into a cupof hot water and the length of time the bag, remains in the water depends upon the strength of tea desired. As the tea bag is removed from the tea-cup it is carried to another receptacle as it is not desi'rableto have the excess fluid in the saucer in which the cup ispositioned, because the fluid on the bottom of the cup drops upon clothing and the like. In carrying the tea bag to anothertreceptacle the excess fluid drips upon the table-cloth and often stains the material.

With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a relatively thin cover formed with a sheet-of material folded at a medial point providing two hinged sections whereby with the string of a tea bag extended through an opening in the center of the sheet of material a tea bag suspended by the string may be held between the two sections so that upon forcing the sections together the tea bag will be squeezed.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide a cover for a tea bag in which the cover remains permanently upon the tea bag and in which excess fluid may readily be removed from the tea bag Without touching the tea bag by hand.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for facilitating squeezing a tea bag by the thumb and forefinger of a hand without the fingers coming in contact with the bag in which the device also provides a protector for the tea bag until such time as the bag is used.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a cover for tea bags which makes it possible for excess fluid to be squeezed from a tea bag without the tea bag coming in contact with the thumb and fingers of a hand in which the cover is also adapted to be opened and positioned over a tea-cup to protect tea in the cup from dust and the like and also to partially retain heat in the fluid in the cup.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tea bag cover that makes it possible to squeeze excess fluid from the tea bag without the thumb or fingers of the user coming in contact with the bag in which the outer surfaces of the cover provide space for advertising.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a sheet of material folded to provide two hinged sections whereby a tea bag positioned between the sections is adapted to be squeezed by the thumb and fingers of a hand without the hand coming into contact with the tea bag in which the device is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and. other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a sheet of material, such as plastic, preferably impervious to moisture, or a sheet of cardboard lined with vegetable parchment, or backed with aluminum foil, folded on a medial line providing two hinged sections, and having an opening fora cord of a tea bag in the center and tabs struck therefrom for retaining the device upon a tea-cup or the like.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view showing a tea-cup with part broken away showing a tea bag therein, and showing, in perspective, a tea bag cover positioned on the tea-cup.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the improved tea-bag cover showing the device over a tea bag and with the open ends of sections of the cover held together by the string of the tea bag.

Figure 3 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 2 illustrating the use of the device wherein the sections of the cover are adapted to be pressed against a tea bag by the thumb and finger of a hand, the thumb and finger being shown in dotted lines.

Figure 4 is a plan. view of a blank from which the tea bag cover of this invention is formed.

Figure 5 is a detail taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4 showing an inclined slot through which the string of a tea bag passes to an. opening in the center of the cover, the parts being shown on an enlarged scale.

While one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the above referred to drawings, it is to be understood that they, are merely for the purpose of illustration and that'various changes in construction maybe resorted to in the course of manufacture in order that the invention may be utilized to the best advantage according to circumstances which may arise, without in any way departing from the spirit and intention of the device, which is to be limited only in accordance with the appended claim. And while there is stated the primary field of utility of the invention, it remains obvious that it may be employed in any other capacity wherein it may be found applicable.

In the accompanying drawings and in the following specification, the same reference characters are used to designate the same parts and elements throughout, and in which the numeral 10 refers to the invention in its entirety, numeral 12 indicating a blank from which the tea bag cover is formed, numeral 14 an opening in the center of the cover through which a string 16 of a tea bag 18 passes, numeral 20 indicating an inclined passage leading from an edge of the cover to the opening 14, numerals 22 and 24 openings from which tabs 26 and 28 for retaining the cover on a cup 30 are struck, numerals 32 and 34 slits in one end of the cover for receiving the string 16, and numerals 36 and 38 slits for receiving the string at the opposite end of the cover.

The blank 12 is formed from a sheet of material, such as plastic and preferably impervious to moisture, or as noted before, the material may be cardboard lined with a vegetable parchment, or backed with aluminum foil, to comply with food regulations of the different States. It will also be understood that other suitable materials may be used for the sheet of material, and as shown in Figure 4, the corners of the sheet of material may be beveled as indicated by the numeral 40.

In use the string 16 of a tea bag is inserted through the passage 20 into the opening 14, and with the sheet of material folded on a medial line complementary sections 42 and 44 are provided, the sections being positioned on opposite sides of the tea bag 18, and for packaging,

. 3 storing, and shipping, the sections 42 and 44 are folded against the sides of the tea bag. With the parts in this position, as illustrated in Figure 2, the string 16 is passed through registering slits 32 .and 36 and back through the slits 34 and 38, whereby the open ends of the sections are held together. The end of the string is then carried up: wardly on the outside of the package and attached to the outer surface of the section 44 at the point 46, with a staple 48. With the parts assembled in this manner the device may be placed in a package for distribution.

When used for making a cup of tea, the assembly is removed from a package, the string removed from the slits in the ends of the sections, and, by sliding the string through the opening 14, the tea bag may be dropped in a cup, and the cover positioned on the cup, as illustrated in Figure 1, wherein the tabs 26 and 28 are positioned over the edge of the cup for retaining the cover in position. With tea of the proper strength formed in the cup the tea bag is drawn upwardly by the string 16 to the position shown in Figure 3, and the sections 42 and 44 may be pressed against the tea bag to remove excess fluid therefrom, so that the bag may be carried to another receptacle without danger of tea dropping on a table-cloth or the like.

The outer surfaces of the sections provide space for 7 advertising.

, From the foregoing specification, it will become apparent that the invention disclosed will adequately accomplish the functions for which it has been designed and in an economical manner, and that its simplicity, accuracy, and ease of operation are such as to provide a relatively inexpensive device, considering what it will accomplish, and that it will find an important place in the art to which it appertains when once placed on the market.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the invention after considering the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Changes in shape, size, and rearrangement of details and parts, such as come within the purview of the invention claimed, may be resorted to, in actual practice, if desired.

Having now described the invention that which is claimed to be new and desired to be procured by Letters Patent, is:

In a tea bag holder, the combination which comprises a rectangular-shaped cov'er having spaced slits extended inwardly from the ends, with tabs struck from the intermediate portions and having an opening positioned midway between the ends and also midway between the sides, said cover also having an arcuate passage extended from the opening to one of the sides thereof, a tea bag, and a string extended from the tea bag through the opening in the center of the cover and positioned with the end opposite to the end attached to the tea bag held by the tab in the intermediate portion of one section of the cover, said string being adapted to be looped through the slits in'the edges of the sections of the cover with the cover folded midway of the length thereof and with the tea bag positioned between the sections of the cover wherebythe tea bag is protected for packaging, storing and shipping.

References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,293,801 Kitt Feb. 11, 1919 1,297,442 Chenery Mar. 18, 1919 1,702,243 Axtell Feb. 19, 1929 2,004,883 Wolcott June 11, 1935 2,285,113 Eaton June 2, 1942 2,308,241 'Hogaboom Jan. 12, 1943 2,606,836 McCabe Aug. 12, 1952 2,614,934 Trotman Oct. 21, 1952 2,728,670 Young et a1 Dec. 27, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 812,235 France Feb. 1, 1936 

